The Information Centre at the MCAST Main Campus in Paola provides you with information about the training programmes offered by the College’s Institutes, as well as the support services available to you before and during your studies at MCAST.

Education plays an important role in securing the job you are aspiring for. The first stepping stones or pre-requisites for choosing your dream career are the qualifications required to achieve it. Equipped with the adequate qualifications, you will have a greater choice of career options. Our career guidance advisers can help you in selecting the courses suitable for you. To help you make informed education and career choices, contact us for an appointment or visit our offices at the Student House, MCAST Main Campus, Paola.

Counselling can help you seek more happiness and fulfilment out of life. At MCAST, this service is more growth-oriented and focuses on the goals that provide direction in life and on empowering you to create your own destiny. As a student, you are encouraged to call for a personal counselling appointment whenever you are faced with difficult life challenges. Through the student-counsellor interaction, you will be able to manage your challenging situations, develop unused resources and handle life opportunities more effectively.

The LSU collaborates closely with other units and institutes within MCAST to ensure that students receive the necessary academic support to succeed and become autonomous independent learners.

The LSU supports students regardless of limited or lack of previous qualifications. The LSU considers different teaching and learning strategies to cover set Key Skills syllabi, from Foundation programmes throughout higher level courses. At Level 1 and Level 2, students follow complete withdrawal sessions through vocational embedding and/or contextualization of Key Skills delivery, together with lessons in PD and IT. At higher levels, students are provided with extra support on a one-to-one basis or in a small group setting.

Students attending LSU sessions receive support in general or specific literacy skills; in planning for assignments and course work; in developing coping and study strategies tackling particular learning conditions; and in the development of sound learning strategies and study skills.

Periodically counsellors organise a 30-hour training course in basic helping skills. Through this training you will have the opportunity to develop your communication skills, creativity, insight, ethical responsibility and other values. Successful participants are presented with a certificate of attendance. Following this training, the counsellors will invite you to participate in the Student-2-Student Network. Through this voluntary system, you will be able to use the acquired helping skills to assist fellow students in need of support, in collaboration with the counsellors.

Different life experiences can influence our well-being. Through enrichment groups, you can join groups of up to fifteen students to discuss various personal and social themes with the counsellors. The themes discussed are chosen by the students. The characteristics of group work enable a type of interaction that is not possible in one-to-one sessions. Thus, the experience can also be helpful in addressing emotional distress. Through these sessions you will also learn to help each other and work as a team, a personal skill that can be beneficial on both a personal and academic level.

Magic Wonders Child Care Centre

MCAST Magic Wonders Child Care Centre enables parents of young children to follow MCAST’s educational programmes whilst their children are professionally cared for in certified childcare facilities on campus. Students of all MCAST institutes who currently have children from newborn to up to three years of age can make use of this centre at the MCAST Main Campus, in Paola. All applications for child care services will be assessed by the Child Care Board.

There are moments in life when we feel the need for spiritual guidance or pastoral counselling. In such cases, the MCAST Chaplain, Fr Antoine Farrugia and his team are available to meet you at any of the MCAST Institutes. You can visit Fr Farrugia at the MCAST Chapel, at the Main Campus, in Paola.

The Inclusive Education Unit (IEU) provides the necessary support to MCAST students with particular needs, including disabilities and/or learning difficulties. To benefit from this service, you may contact the Inclusion Coordinator and ask for an appointment before applying for an MCAST course. You will be offered a confidential interview to assess and discuss your particular needs and the kind of support that the College will be offering you.

All support is optional and can be reduced or stopped upon your responsible request. Information provided remains strictly confidential and lecturers are only informed with your consent.

We believe that matching our human resources to your specific needs is of paramount importance for your academic success. By informing us about your requirements before the submission of your application to join MCAST, you will be helping MCAST provide you with a better service.